[Suggestion] - Drama CDs of J-Novel Licensed Light Novels
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@Sam-Pinansky said in [Suggestion] - Drama CDs of J-Novel Licensed Light Novels:
With my background in subtitling, it'd be technically very easy for me to produce subtitled drama CD videos with character heads.
Question: There's bound to be an existing resource for tying in lyrics to audio files. Why not hijack one of these solutions and push out something like that? Much smaller file size with no messy re-encoding.
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@Taedirk And how would normal people play that back then?
If you're staring at a screen to read lyrics from some special software, it just seems to me like a way to make playback more annoying to the user with no real benefit to them.
The amount of time it would take for me is probably about the same.
My Aeigisub/Avisynth skills might be out of date by now but I can still encode with the best of them. -
@Sam-Pinansky said in [Suggestion] - Drama CDs of J-Novel Licensed Light Novels:
@Taedirk And how would normal people play that back then?
Yeah, kinda where my concept falls apart. The logistics behind releasing drama CD translations is one of those things that interests/bugs me. On the Grand Idea™ Scale, I can see exactly where there's space for a semi-custom solution. MangaGamer released Kindred Spirits dramas as video files (at ~800-1000mb downloads per disc). Sekai Project/Key released Clannad Side Stories (which are similar/originally drama cd releases) as a full software release but it has terrible UX.
Magical Custom Solution Concept here would knock things down to the base elements: audio, subtitle script, optional image files for insert graphics / custom backgrounds. Wrap it all up and feed it into a playback program that allows functionality similar to a video player (pause, seek, subtitle rendering with user customization, image display). You end up with something easier to distribute and features more in line with the end product. The problem is a reliance on the software being supported as well as getting users to buy in to yet another playback program.
I'm well aware that in the end, it's a niche solution for a niche product that can be done Good Enough™ by just distributing as common video files. Doesn't mean I have to stop dreaming about it.
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@Taedirk I don't know, shouldn't a soft subbed video where the video stream is encoded as low fps h264 with tune stillimage be pretty close to optimal? Should at least have less than 800mb if you don't intentionally mess it up.
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If you decide to do a Kickstarter you;ll have my support, though I have no idea how successful it would be. After all Rokujouma aired a while ago and aside from people following the light novel fan translation I'm not sure how much of a fanbase it had.
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I'd pitch in for a kickstarter too. I'm a big audio drama fan and would love a way to enjoy Japanese audio drama
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I'd also love to see drama cds get licensed. Also if you need a way to put the text in why not ask the guys at skythewood for help on how to do it since they translated the Overlord and Konosuba drama cds.
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Would be glad to have Arifureta CD drama and pay an extra credit point for it, yep (script in english + jap audio, more than enough)
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Curious Cat question about Drama CDs
Come on @Sam-Pinansky you could do digital distribution for the drama CDs, and I would buy them all.
OVAs are a whole other territory that I am not even bringing up.
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@aruseus493 I'd like to hear that.
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Digital Distribution for the Drama CDs with a transcript, or fan-subbed image like the Rokujouma CDs do.
I don't think OVAs are a big thing that needs J-NC. They seem to be getting licensed more often lately by the anime distributors. At least I know Sentai gets them.
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@sam-pinansky I could go for either option 1 or 3 as well.
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As we approach the volumes for series with Drama CDs and I get worried that they aren't going to get licensed, I'll accept even just translated scripts for them as like bonus stories in the volumes.
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@aruseus493
I agree. For me the important thing is the story not the sound of the voice actor.IIRC this was once done in Campione. The script for the drama CD was included as a chapter in Vol. 18 which was a collection of short stories.
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If you decide to run the Kickstarter, I'm in.
I don't even read some of the series mentioned, but I would throw in just to be able to get the project's rolling for any CDs for series I read that do have them, that you might TL later on.
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@aruseus493 I second this, as long as we get the script I'd be a satisfied a customer
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I'd use a premium credit for a translated script of a drama cd (Ideally illustrated)
I'd use 2 or 3 credits for a subbed (dubbed?) drama CD file.
I'm not knowledgeable about the licensing aspect, the text/illustrations I can see being more straightforward than licensing the audio.
I can perceive a "slideshow" synchronized to the audio track (could be created in powerpoint, adobe premiere or shockwave- I'm sure others- output to mp4) IMHO the technical aspects seem easier than the legal ones
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I've pretty much come to the conclusion that we will license the drama CDs for backer reward tiers in a theoretical kickstarter for print versions of the series when it's done.
Releasing them standalone could probably be done without LOSING money but it would be a waste from a business standpoint. Even in Japan, drama CDs are designed to sell more books, not themselves.
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@sam-pinansky okay that would cover a series like Rokujouma but what about a series that is already receiving a print release like Grimgar or Arifureta?
In that example there would be no need to do a Kickstarter campaign after the series concludes because the physical is already out in the wild, which still leads to no Drama CD.
